Conditions
In this system, conditions are used to resemble any effects being applied by or received by the Jacks, Occupants or Auras. It goes beyond this by having the Basic and Permanent conditions work as a kind of "health" that is closely tied to your Æthers and show Jacks and occupants generally weakening as they take on more conditions. Occupants work a bit differently to Jacks so have some unique conditions related to how they are destroyed called Occupant Conditions. There are also Physical, Elemental and Abstract conditions that have a variety of effects related to anything from movement to the chaos effects.
Conditions are the chunkiest part of this system with a lot to remember but you mainly just need to learn the basic and permanent conditions, then mainly focus on the conditions your weapon and specialisation can apply.
Basic and Permanent Conditions
There are 3 Basic conditions, Pained, Hazed and Shaken. These conditions last until your Jack gets a break and stops acting in Rounds. There are also 3 Permanent conditions, Wounded, Glazed and Panicked. These do not go away when rounds end. These conditions effect your Æthers by reducing them by 1 each time they are received, oh yes, you can get multiples of the same condition and this keeps reducing your Æthers. These conditions match an Æther.
Pained and Wounded reduce Lucidity.
Hazed and Glazed reduce Mentality.
Shaken and Panicked reduce Empathy.
Jacks want to ensure their Æthers don't reach -4 as this always triggers something to happen. This makes Jacks with higher base Æthers more resistant to these conditions as it takes more conditions to reach -4.
If an Æther reaches -4, your Jack removes all the basic conditions from that Æther then receives a Permanent Condition for that Æther. This resembles your Jack having a second wind in that Æther but suffers a more permanent detriment for the rest of the dream. If an Æther reached -4 but there are no basic conditions to remove and instead there are only permanent conditions, you make a wake check. This resembles your Jack having no more strength in that Æther to stay in the dream and they have to fight to stay in the dream.
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Note that if you receive Permanent conditions, it becomes easier to receive more permanent conditions as your Æther is now effectively one lower for the rest of the dream.
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Pained - Lucidity's Basic Condition
Imagine in a dream world you get stabbed. this would hurt but not as much as it should, and if you pull your composure together the stab wound may be gone before you even realise you were hurt. This is the pained condition. It effects your Lucidity giving you -1 to the lucidity Æther.
Wounded - Lucidity's Permanent Condition
In the last fight you took many small hits or one big hit that is going to sit with you for a while and restrict your body for the rest of the dream. It effects your Lucidity giving you -1 to the lucidity Æther.
Hazed - Mentality Basic Condition
Hazed can be caused by anything that distracts or takes away your Jacks focus. The flurrying daggers of an occupant lunging towards you may not hit but you are not focussed on much else while this is going on. Other weapons may distract or fog up an area causing the Hazed condition also. It effects your Mentality giving you -1 to the Mentality Æther.
Glazed - Mentality Permanent Condition
You had sand thrown in your eyes one too many times or maybe you just took a big knock to the head, either way you are finding it harder to focus on anything that needs your brain to focus. It effects your Mentality giving you -1 to the Mentality Æther.
Shaken - Empathy Basic Condition
A bullet rockets past your ear putting you into a state of shock, trying to maintain your composure to rally your party or gain the motives of an occupant more than them wanting to shoot you is going to be tricky. Other weapons may get in your head and temporarily lower your confidence making it harder to interact with others. It effects your Empathy giving you -1 to the Empathy Æther.
Panicked - Empathy Permanent Condition
the explosions from the last fight have to completely on edge and that isn't going to change any time soon or maybe the creepy doll in the weird haunted how never left the corner of your vision. either way It effects your Empathy giving you -1 to the Empathy Æther.
Occupant Conditions
Occupants are more fragile than Jacks and so they are easier to be taken out of the battle. If they have an Æther hit -4 due to permanent or basic conditions they do not remove conditions and are taken out of the fight by being Shattered, Forgotten or Disconnected depending on the Æther that hits -4.
Shattered - Lucidity's Occupant Condition
The Occupant is spread over a large area in many different pieces. They could be put back together if you had the time and skill.
Forgotten - Mentality Occupant Condition
The Occupant blurs out of existence almost like they were never there in the first place.
Detached - Empathy Occupant Condition
The Occupant is no longer connected to the Mark and so waits motionless or in a state of shock for something to happen.
Tips for keeping track of conditions.
In early levels it is quite easy to keep track of conditions as there isn't too much going on. As players get higher in level, they start to apply more conditions and a larger variety of conditions.
A good way to track basic and permanent conditions is with tokens that cover up the Jack's Æthers on their sheet.
A good way to track the Physical, Elemental and Abstract conditions is by using tokens for any condition that can be applied once and coloured
6-sided-dice for any stacking conditions. ​
Here is a printable sheet of tokens you can use.
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As a final tip, as players get more experienced in the game and higher level, start to share the responsibility of tracking conditions on enemies around all the players not just the GM. If each player tracks the conditions for their Jack and one or two occupants, the game remains quite fluid.
Physical, Elemental and Abstract Conditions
These conditions have a variety of effects. They may apply basic or permanent conditions in more creative ways or have their own unique effects.
There are a few key ideas that are consistent between all these conditions and they are as follows:
Stacks - Some conditions allow multiple conditions of themself.
Stacks Duration - These stacks only matter to increase the duration of the condition.
Fades - Some conditions fade away. At the end of the round the condition is removed or if it is a Stacking condition, the stack reduces by 1 instead of being removed.
Cancels - Some conditions cancel other conditions out removing both conditions.
Removes - Some conditions remove other conditions but are still applied themself.
The effects of conditions come into play the moment they are applied. At the end of a round conditions apply their own conditions if they have any, then they fade. If the first instance of a condition was applied that round, it will not fade until next round.
Physical Conditions
Physical conditions are caused by the more physical weapons and abilities and tend to be caused by contact. They also mostly interact with the Lucidity Æther.
Bleeding
Those effected have a laceration that continues to cause pain and drain their lucid form.
Bleeding applies 1 Pained per stack at the end of each round. Stacks. Fades.
Cover
Those effected are obscured from sight or ranged attacks.
When targeted by ranged attacks, roll a d6, on a 5 or 6 the attack misses. Decisive rolls to hide from view are one difficulty easier.
Executed
Those effected have taken a huge hit to something important.
Shatters occupants. Apply Paralysed then make a wake check immediately with +5 to the wake number. The GM determines other potential effects.
Pinned
Those effected have had something sharp or binding pin them to the ground or another surface.
Cannot move. Stacks can be removed by using an interaction during a round. Stacks.
Pulled
Those effected have been pulled through the air by a force.
Move up to 25DU towards the direction of the condition source, stopping when it is reached. Applies Prone if Loose Footing.
Severed Arm
Those effected have had an arm removed.
Decisive rolls now take into account the missing limb when determining their difficulty. Attack rolls with Large or Colossal weapons do so using a d6 roll.
Blinded
Those effected have had their vision disrupted or obscured.
All decisive rolls involving vision are one difficulty harder per stack. If the stacks are equal to the effected things eye number, then vision decisive rolls become impossible. Stacks.
Deafened
Those effected have had their hearing disrupted or obscured.
All decisive rolls involving hearing are one difficulty harder per stack. If the stacks are equal to the effected things ear number, then hearing decisive rolls become impossible. Stacks.
Hidden
Those effected have blended into the background.
A decisive roll equal to the difficulty used to hide is needed to be seen by others.
Poisoned
Those effected have their senses disrupted continuously by a poison.
Poisoned applies 1 Hazed per stack at the end of each round. Stacks. Fades.
Pushed
Those effected have been pushed through the air by a force.
Move 25DU away from the direction of the condition source. Applies Prone if Loose Footing.
Severed Leg
Those effected have had a leg removed.
Decisive rolls now take into account the missing limb when determining their difficulty. Movement is reduced by 15DU. Moving while standing applies Loose footing.
Broken
Those effected have a break in a weapon holding limb that makes their attacks less powerful.
When making weapon attacks, use a die one size smaller for each stack of broken. Shatters Frozen or Petrified Occupants. Stacks
Diseased
Those effected have all capabilities inhibited including their speed.
Apply Slowed at the end of each round. All Decisive rolls are one difficulty harder.
Loose Footing
Those effected do not have strong contact with the ground so are easily pushed over and forcefully moved around.
Movement effects move this target double the distance. Removes all Pinned stacks. Stacks duration.
Prone
Those effected are brought to the ground.
Move distance become equal to climbing distance or 10DU by default. Apply Grounded and Cover. Can be cancelled using a rounds movement.
Quickened
Those effected have been sped up.
Move distance is doubled. Cancels out slowed. Stacks only effect duration. Fades.
Slowed
Those effected have had their movement slowed in some way.
Move distance is halved. Cancels out quickened. Stacks only effect duration. Fades.
Elemental Conditions
Elemental conditions are caused by the elements of the world and can have a wide range of effects, they tend to interact with other elemental conditions.
Hot
Those effected are heated up and move quickly.
All base move distances increase by half. Applies Burning if already Hot. Apples Pained if Wet. Cancels Cold.
Cold
Those effected are slowed down by the cold.
All base move distances are halved. Applies Frozen if Wet. Cancels Hot.
Charged
Those effected are charged with electrical energy.
Charged applies 1 Shaken per stack at the end of each round. Stacks. Fades.
Wet
Those effected are wet
Cancels Burning. Applies Loose Footing while moving.
Burning
Those effected are alight with flames.
Burning applies a random Basic Condition per stack at the end of each round. Cancels one Frozen stack. Cancels Wet. Stacks. Fades.
Frozen
Those effected have been trapped in a layer of ice.
Can't move, attack or use abilities that require movement. Frozen things can target themself with attacks and abilities. Stacks only effect the duration.
Zapped
Those effected are shocked with a jolt of energy.
Applies Charged if Flying or Loose Footing or already Zapped. Applies Paralysed if Wet or Mechanical. Fades.
Melting
Those effected start struggling to maintain the solidity of their Lucid forms.
Melting applies a random physical condition per stack at the end of each round, these conditions are Deafened, Blinded, Broken, Severed Arm, Severed Leg, Executed and can be determined by rolling a d6. Removes all Frozen Stacks.
Grounded
Those effected are connected or drawn to the ground.
Cannot be Pushed or Pulled. Removes Flying. Applied Pinned if already Grounded. Fades. Removes Charged.
Petrified
Those effected are turned to stone.
Can't move, attack or use abilities that require movement.
Abstract Conditions
Abstract Conditions do any number of weird things.
They can also start to benefit your own team much more.
Self-Confident
Those effected are confident in their physical capabilities.
+1 Lucidity. Cancelled by Wounded. Cannot be Feared or Judged
Focussed
Those effected find it easy to focus in on the dream around them.
+1 Mentality. Cancelled by Glazed. cannot be Indecisive or Distracted.
Perceptive
Those effected find it easier to pick up and notice the meaning behind things that others do.
+1 Empathy. Cancelled by Panicked. Cannot be Surprised or Doubtful.
They can build on each other.
Judged
Those effected have had their physical traits judged and it sticks with them.
If Doubted, apply Wounded then remove Judged and Doubted. If Distracted, apply Glazed then remove Judged and Distracted.
Distracted
Those effected have their attention easily drawn to other things.
If Judged, apply Glazed then remove Judged and Distracted. If Doubtful, apply Panicked then remove Doubtful and Distracted.
Doubtful
Those effected find it hard to trust what they are seeing or feeling.
If Distracted, apply Panicked then remove Doubtful and Distracted. If Judged, apply Wounded then remove Judged and Doubtful.
They can determine chaos and order effects.
Chaos Conduit
Those effected are charged with chaotic energy.
The next ability will have its Chaos effect. Removes one stack when the ability is used. Stacks.
Order Conduit
Those effected are primmed to cleanly add to the dream.
The next ability will have its Order effect. Removes one stack when the ability is used. Stacks.
Neutral Conduit
Those effected are unable to draw on chaos or order.
The next ability will have its base effect. Removes one stack when the ability is used. Stacks.
They can also have a big variety of effects on what can and can't be done.
Catatonic
Those effected have no control over anything.
Cannot do anything. Stacks. Fades.
Feared
Those effected are forced to run away from their fear.
Must move their full move distance away from the source of feared during the round. Fades.
Indecisive
Those effected find decisions almost impossible.
Cannot make decisive rolls.
Shifted
Those effected are shifted into a layer of the dream that nothing else is on.
Cannot interact or be interacted with by other Jacks, Occupants or Auras. Stacks. Fades.
Disarmed
Those effected have had their weapons inhibited or taken.
Cannot attack. Weapons can be fixed or regathered with an Interaction.
Frazzled
Those effected cannot focus their brain on anything.
Mental actions cannot be taken such as dream weaving and abilities that effect the world. Stacks. Fades.
Invisible
Those effected are unable to be seen.
Cannot be seen.
Silenced
Those effected cannot talk or have any noise come from them.
Cannot make noise.
Dissociated
Those effected have lost connection with their Jacks Body.
The Jacks movement, attacks, abilities and decisive rolls are made by the GM or at random.
Fugued
Those effected are in a fugue state where their body acts on it's own.
Mental and empathy actions cannot be taken such as dream weaving and all abilities not reliant of the body. Stacks. Fades.
Paralysed
Those effected cannot more their physical form.
Lucid actions cannot be taken such as moving, attacking, Abilities that rely on a body or decisive rolls that rely on a body. Stacks. Fades.
Surprised
Those effected are caught off guard and must use the round to prepare themself.
Cannot attack, use abilities, or move again. Fades.